AUGUSTA, Maine (WGME) — A bill aims to crack down on excessive dog barking in Maine.
The bill, “An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Nuisance Dogs,” is sponsored by Sen. Rick Bennett, R-Oxford.
The proposal would expand the state’s nuisance dog law, which currently only applies to dogs that cause injury or property damage.
The bill aims to add dogs that “disturb the peace” by excessively barking, howling or yelping.
The bill also authorizes a person to file a written complaint to a law enforcement officer or animal control officer if the person’s “peace has been disrupted” by a dog that barks, howls or yelps excessively.
If passed, the law would allow dog owners to be cited with a civil violation punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, according to the Press Herald.
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